Smithsonian: Go Behind the Scenes at an Iconic Irish Library as Staff Move 700,000 Historical Treasures Into Storage

When traveling, I never thought to visit old libraries.  The Old Library at Trinity College Dublin looks impressive.  I’ve not been to Ireland, so this doesn’t count as a missed opportunity.

The Old Library is currently undergoing an ambitious redevelopment project that will combine medieval traditions with new technology and move hundreds of thousands of books at a cost of more than $100 million. In addition to protecting the early 18th-century building, the project will ensure the preservation of precious old texts and manuscripts, plus the valuable knowledge they contain, for future generations.

While the building is being renovated, all the books and manuscripts are being moved, cleaned, repaired and digitally scanned.  I’d like to see the collection when it’s all online.

Trinity staff escalated their efforts to properly safeguard the library and its priceless collections in the aftermath of a 2019 fire that devastated Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Add to that, the thefts from the Louvre.  It’s good to see that the Irish aren’t slacking.